U.S. weekly rail traffic again up, thanks to intermodal

Weekly table showing U.S. carload rail traffic by commodity type, plus overall intermodal volume

WASHINGTON — U.S. rail traffic continued its pattern for most of 2024 in the week ending Nov. 9, with strong intermodal growth leading to an overall gain compared to 2023. According to statistics from the Association of American Railroads, the week saw total volume of 519,115 carloads and intermodal units, a 4.5% increase from the […]

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Metra board approves 2025 budget

Two commuter trains side-by-side on three-track main line

CHICAGO — Metra’s board of directors on Wednesday approved a $1.135 billion operating budget that maintains current fares, as well as a $366.4 million capital spending plan to continue improvements to bridges, stations, and rolling stock. The budget, about 4.1% higher than that for 2024, includes projections that ridership will increase by about 7%. It […]

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What happened to the caboose?

A wooden fence post and yellow autumn grass with a yellow caboose receding in the distance

What happened to the caboose? Many factors helped seal their fate, and the demise of the caboose has been mourned in many places, including in the pages of Trains, which bid farewell in a special issue in August 1990. But the caboose hasn’t disappeared. Even today, you can find a few cabooses still at work. […]

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D.C. suburb settles with CSX over 2023 derailment

CSX logo

HYATTSVILLE, Md. — The city of Hyattsville and CSX have reached a $310,000 settlement agreement over costs stemming from a 2023 derailment that spilled plastic pellets in the community, the Hyattsville Life & Times reports. A locomotive and 16 cars derailed in the Sept. 23, 2023, incident near the intersection of U.S. Route 1 and […]

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MBTA work removes five Red Line speed restrictions

Maintenance crew working on track under bridge

BOSTON — Five days of service suspensions for maintenance work on the Red Line have resulted in the removal of five speed restrictions, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has announced, leaving just four slow orders on the entire MBTA rail transit system. Service was shut down between Broadway and North Quincy Nov. 5-10, as well […]

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Reading & Northern promotes two in passenger department

Reading and Northern logo

PORT CLINTON, Pa. — The Reading & Northern Railroad has announced two promotions within its passenger department, with Jennifer Frederickson becoming director of passenger marketing, retail, and community development, and Meg Pursel named assistant vice president-passenger special projects, office car specials, and special excursions. Frederickson, who started with the railroad in 2018 as a mascot […]

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